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Two other people were rescued shortly after the incident happened on Saturday morning, May 2 in the Jones Beach inlet at Point Lookout.
It was determined a 2007 22-foot Angler fishing boat had been attempting to navigate rough water and was hit by multiple large waves, overturning the vessel and throwing all four occupants overboard at around 10:15 a.m., Nassau County Police said.
A short time later, a man traveling west with his family on a 68-foot vessel spotted two male passengers in the water.
The Good Samaritan and his family assisted both victims, 24, and 26 years old, recovering them from the water while initiating search and rescue efforts prior to police arrival.
Both of the rescued men were transported to an area hospital by the Coast Guard and area fire departments for treatment of hypothermia and non-life-threatening injuries.
The male operator of the boat was eventually removed from the water by the New York City Police Aviation Dive Team and also transported by the Coast Guard to an area hospital where he was pronounced dead at 11:52 am by a staff physician.
The man has been identified as John Costa, 54, of Farmingdale.
Numerous agencies, including the United States Coast Guard, Nassau County Marine Bureau, Nassau County First Precinct, New York City Police Aviation Bureau, and multiple fire departments, assisted with search and rescue efforts.
The boat was recovered and removed from the scene by Nassau County Marine Bureau and the investigation is ongoing.
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